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BIOLOGICAL STAINS 
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STAIN USE SPECIMEN COLOR
Acid Fuchsin Stains collagen fibers red and smooth muscle in contrast to collagen. Red/magenta/violet
Congo Red Used to stain amyloid. (A starchlike substance. A hard, waxy deposit consisting of protein and polysaccharides that results from the degeneration of tissue.) Red
Crystal Violet The (positive) dye of choice in Grams stain. Bacteria Blue violet
Eosin B Interchangeable with Eosin Y. Ionization – acid (Color is red) Bluish cast
Eosin Y Stains alkaline cell parts (like cytoplasm). Use on plants, animals and blood. Pink
Eosin Y ws Common counterstain to alum hematoxylin and Eosin method. Red
Gram Stain Positive – Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Bacillus -subtilis (crystal violet)

Negative – Neisseria, E. coli (Eosin Y ws)

Dark blue or purple

                                      Red

Hematoxylin Stains nuclear chromatin using aluminum mordant. Acid resistant nuclear staining, muscle striations and some glial fibers (The delicate network of branched cells and fibers that supports the tissue of the central nervous system) with ferric salts mordant.

Yellow/brown

Iodine Carbohydrates in plant and animal specimens

Glycogen (Animal starch.. A polysaccharide, (C6H10O5)n, that is the main form of carbohydrate storage in animals.

Brown or Blue-Black

Red

Mercurochrome Marks tissue margins and faces for orientation. (Antiseptic) Similar to Eosin Y ws. Red
Methyl blue Stains collagen and connective tissue. Blue
Methylene blue Acidic cell parts (Use on animal, bacteria and blood specimens. Blue
Saffron Colors connective tissue yellow in contrast to the pink cytoplasm given by phyloxine. Yellow orange
Safranin O Commonly used for counterstaining nuclei red. Cartilage is stained yellowish. Red
Toluidene blue Stains acidic cell parts (like nucleus). Good to show mitosis in plant cells. MITOSIS = The process in cell division by which the nucleus divides, typically consisting of four stages, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase, and normally resulting in two new nuclei, each of which contains a complete copy of the parental chromosomes. Also called karyokinesis. Dark Blue

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